


The Five Senses, Part One: Scent

by samanthavee



Series: The Five Senses [1]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-10 01:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/780397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanthavee/pseuds/samanthavee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>The first thing he noticed was the smell....</i> Jason has a new friend, whom Asher takes particular interest in exploring….</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Senses, Part One: Scent

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously it all belongs to LKH....except Aaron. He's mine and I love him.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. Vampires, like wereanimals, had acute senses, and in this case Asher had picked up the scent of a new human as soon as he awoke for the evening. It stood in stark relief from the other usual smells of the circus; the various members of the groups of animals that frequented the halls, the other vampires who lived in the catacombs. Humans were a rare occurrence in the Circus, because to put it simply they were a liability. They were the weakest of all the species, and that meant they would be the first to die. As much of a bleeding heart as Jean-Claude could be, he was a smart business man. Humans dying in his house would be bad for business.

The first order of business of the night, regardless of this strange human smell, was to feed. His curiosity and the freshness of this new scent kicked his hunger into over drive, and he eagerly searched for Jason, one of Jean Claude’s pomme de sangs, and his wolf to call. Jason was a favorite of Asher’s, although he probably didn’t know it. He had a problem with his personal filter, and often said things he shouldn’t say. Most people found it annoying, but Asher had learned a long time ago sarcasm was just a form of softening brutal honesty, and Asher appreciated honesty.

Jason was in the new communal kitchen, joking and laughing with someone who upon first glance Asher did not recognize; and then the scent hit him. This was the human. If Asher had been younger, his surprise would have been hard to keep off of his face, but a few centuries of practice allowed him a startlingly neutral expression as he evaluated the situation. The two men had been eating bowls of cereal, and this new human had his eyes on Asher from the moment he entered the room. It was uncomfortable, only for the reason that this humans intense gaze mirrored Asher’s intense hunger. Now close to the source, he was able to pick apart this strange humans scent with delicious accuracy. There was the unmistakable smell of marijuana, it hung in a heavy cloud around him, which could only mean he was an avid smoker. Then….Old Spice, a light twist of leather conditioner, although he wore no leather that Asher could see, and beneath everything the mouth watering scent of his blood. He was obviously young, he was human, and Asher had not had anyone purely human in…..a long time. There was a brief instant where Asher could see this new human in his minds eye, pressed against him as Asher drank from his throat, shuddering in ecstasy as the last drops of life left him. It was a dangerous fantasy, and no sooner had he imagined it did he blink and it was gone. He wasn’t even entirely sure if he could speak, but he needed to leave the room, and that required Jason’s attention.

**“Jason,”** He managed quite expertly, then simply turned and stepped into the hall. He could hear Jason say he’d be back in a moment, and not to wander around too much or he’d get lost. Asher had half a mind to ask him who this mystery human was, but he decided it wasn’t any of his business. Jason was allowed human friends; like most others in this life, any sense of normalcy, however small, was a welcome one. 

The vision of the boy replayed in his head as he fed, and it wasn’t until Jason actually made a noise of protest that Asher realized how rough he was being with him. He apologized profusely, and Jason gave him a look that said he had half a mind to ask if Asher was alright. He must have decided against it, fearing an answer, because Asher was never quite alright.


End file.
